what a night...

okay, so even i was interested in the decision made tonight. HOWEVER, i forgot, and we went out for dinner (also because we had no food in our "house" tonight...). so, everyone had a sad face (although it has been promised that no basketball would be watched for 4-5 years... i tried to get it in writing!!!). so, find out the sad news. then, walk out to car to find out that the battery died! seriously! then, go to old house to clean, and battery won't hold charge. david spent the rest of the night getting a new battery for his car while i cleaned up the old house...

and realized that the movers forgot all of our packing information. you know, the sheets they give the storage place to say we have 288 pieces (including boxes) and what's in them. then the ones we match with our sheets to claim our 288 things when we get there. you know, those! no big... thankfully, he came back out to get them.

nora is a little confused about seeing her things go down the street in a big van. and that we have nothing left in our house and no home. sad girl!

highlight of my night has been reading everyone's facebook posts about the "news". and i find it quite funny that while at dinner, i wanted to see if it had been announced. so, of course, i went to facebook to see people's statuses. honestly! on my smartphone. what is this world coming to??

so, here we sit. most of our stuff on the road. a little bit in the garage of a friends, and then strewn throughout the house. all i have to say is...

go browns!!! i am quite excited about the decisions they have made! here's holding out some hope...

"i want to go home"

a new home... for now! and two new best friends (david's two dogs... sandy on the left and sadie on the right...)

sadie's not so best friend...

so, all of our things are in 110 boxes. waiting to be moved. it's weird... weirder to watch someone load up all of your things. then, to dinner with david's boss and wife (after getting the kids...). why do the kids choose a night like this to be EXCEPTIONALLY whiny and fussy at dinner? anyway... it was still a lovely dinner in my book! (could it be that it was my third meal of carne asada in 24 hours? and at my favorite restaurant???)

so, we came back to our friends' house (they so graciously agreed to let us stay here while they are out of town), and nora told me (once the excitement wore off of being here), "i want to go home". it was so sad to tell her that we really don't have a home anymore. that we are looking for one.

our dog is going on an extended visit to grammie and grandpa. she took a red-eye flight last night to boston. i was a little anxious, since sadie is known to not do so well in crates. but, she seemed to do well. so, here's the email we got this morning about her first meetings of the new family members! i hope it makes you laugh like it did me!!

(from sue haile)

Dad let Sadie and me out of the car so we could walk across the field to the house while he went to get Sandy (outdoor introductions). They seem to be fine -- a bit of half-hearted barking from Sandy every now and again, but back in the house, all seemed okay.

But then Opus appeared around a corner and just STARED, wide-eyed, for several seconds. Then he dashed around behind the basement door (which we keep hooked, ajar, for Opus to get to his litter box) and there was a stand-off, with Sadie on one side and Opus peering around from behind the door. Then Sadie got too close and there was a hiss and some claws -- and when Sandy came to see what was happening, she got the brunt of the hissing and claws! I think we may end up with dog solidarity against the feline world... we'll see!

i'm bored...

hula hooping...

at church on sunday. yes, david's eyes are closed. no, we don't expect anything different!!!

friends... some of my Bible study girls...

sparklers!! (or princess wand, as nora called it!!)

fireworks!!!

friends... actually, david's friend, wes, and husband to girl in glow glasses to follow!!!

s'mores!!!

a. not drunk. b. no alcohol even at party. c. she's preggers anyway. d. just a GOOD time!!!

on monday, we went and got nora's 3 year pictures done... THEY ARE AWESOME!! and then the up and downs and lunch at the mall!! (this week was NOT the week to try to eat healthy. there's nothing left in my house, and not much to cook with!!! oh well...)

look at how proud he is!! he walked a ton this weekend. at the beach, he was all about walking. we might be turning a corner, folks!

love him. and dog beach!!

playing.

tired little boy. his sister found it funny. that meant he did it about a hundred more times!!

also found this very funny...

yes, the dog is laying on the beach.. the boy crawling!

love this one... good thing we are going to hawaii... it could make my kids sad to not be by the beach!

family photo...

my roomie in college dated (and then married) this guy named zach. he used to say "i'm bored" in the best voice. that's how i hear it in my head today. "i'm bored". the packers are here and i worked myself out of a job. (btw... it's a good memory... love them both! and their adorable boys...)

let me clarify that i am not complaining that i am not the one in the house, packing up everything i own! it's WONDERFUL! however... nothing to do feels weird. my car is FULL!! and needs to be organized.

AND... i have no kids today. they are at a friends' house for the day. (i figured they wouldn't be much help or fun here!!)

SOOOO.... here are a BUNCH of pictures!! call me, email me... i am around... ALL DAY!!!

procrastination!!

awards ceremony today...

david at his awards ceremony today... and the wonderful admiral he has been working with for the last 18 months. doesn't he (meaning david) look cute in his cammies!???
well, both kids are sleeping. so of course, that means i should blog... not pack or clean. anyway, FINALLY got this video this weekend... (trouble downloading) and thought i should share it. it brings tears to my eyes every time i watch it. AND, it reminds me of what great friends i have had here and how much i am going to miss this place. so, enjoy!! and just think.... i don't ACTUALLY turn 30 until next year!! how much more surprising will ANOTHER surprise party be?? (just kidding, honey...) anyway, good times. enjoy!

overwhelmed...

well, you all wondered when it would happen. it was about 6:37 tonight. i am now overwhelmed about the move. and yet, i had time to sit and LAUGH at my favorite new blog... cakewrecks.com. seriously funny. and, they were just in san diego, and we didn't go. TOTALLY should have. back to being overwhelmed...

in your cleaning process, does it ever become more of a mess before it gets clean? that's how i clean and organize. it drives some people nuts (namely my husband and mom...). but, it's how i think and work. it hasn't worked so well with kids (perhaps that's why i haven't organized much in the last few years...), and is just frustrating me.

i finished up my latest and last project for now... well, minus the one that is accompanying me to maine... and packed up my sewing machine. that was sad. and my fabric. and scrapbooking stuff. all the "important" stuff i want to take with me.

and, in clearing stuff out, am living in a mess. but, i have gotten rid of a ton of food!!! (cleaning out cabinets! and then, went for a run tonight!! it was nice...

so, now off to bed. tomorrow, david gets an award, and sadie goes on an airplane. fun times. more pics from our WONDERFUL weekend to follow. too overwhelmed to upload them right now. and it's bedtime!!! good news... it will all get done!

friends... we are so blessed!

out to lunch with max and his mommy...

denise was the FIRST PERSON EVER to hold nora. in her street clothes. she RUSHED in to catch my baby girl! (she had woken up with a dream that i was 8 cm, and called the hospital. there i was... 8 cm!) and we are still friends! i am so thankful for her. we met for lunch on friday!

nora on the car...

she wanted to put on her ballet outfit. and proceeded to PASS OUT on the couch! nice...

the three dresses i have been working so hard on! (AND, my first paid projects!!!)

last night we went to the graves for dinner. the kids got to play croquet!

nora was decent!

the graves were my first friends here. they took me in when i got evacuated for the 2003 fires. and have been family ever since. nancy took me wedding dress shopping. they were the first at the hospital for both kids! i have spent holidays and weekends with them. LOVE THEM!!

nora managing youtube on my new phone!!

loving our neighbor today...

you can't see how bad it is, but james took an eyeball to the couch. it got him RIGHT on the eyelid... and shirred off half of his eyelashes. it's SO SAD! and starting to turn black and blue. at least it's less swollen today!

the other day with zoey and brayden. they both told me they didn't want me to move. SERIOUSLY!!! make me cry kids. i don't want to leave you either! (i even offered to take them with me!!! they were all for it!)

lasts...

crawling up the play structure. just when i thought he might be my cautious one!

with an easter hat on... (and the new dress i made her!)

throwing a tea party!

more climbing... we were at java mama... a coffee shop for moms. you pay to put them in this play area, and have coffee! my friend and i stayed with our kids, but it was fun!!!

oh trader joes. how i will miss you. DESPERATELY! look at the new fun they have. a cart for nora! actually, i pushed james in the stroller and nora pushed that and got our groceries!! it was AWESOME!! and she was so entertained!

we have been doing a lot of lasts this week. tonight, a bunch of girl friends took me out to dessert. such a wonderful time. it's been a long time since i have been the one saying goodbye!

so, we got new phones today. they are AWESOME! however, it synchs with facebook and pulls all the phone numbers from facebook. SOOOOO if you get random phone calls from me and we haven't talked since second grade... a) maybe we don't need to be friends anyway and b) SORRY!! still learning!! ALSO, if i miss your call, it's cause i can't figure out how to answer it! but, working on that, too!!!